When Do you Need to Replace Safety Footwear?

Posted by Katherine Burlock on November 21, 2016

We’ve all had that pair of shoes that we kept long after they should have been tossed in the garbage, but what about safety footwear? When do you need to replace it? It turns out there’s no magic formula – no best before date on the shoes, but there are some signs that it’s time to retire your old shoes.

Wear and Tear

Can you see the steel toe shining through? Is the heel plate rubbed bare? Is your metatarsal guard showing? If you can answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, it’s time for a new pair. The same goes for the tread on the bottom – if it’s worn down significantly or rubbed smooth, it isn’t doing its job anymore. Think of it like the tread on your tires – you don’t want to be driving on bald tires, so why walk in shoes that don’t have traction anymore? Another thing to check is the places where materials meet – if the rubber or pvc is separating from the leather, it’s time for a new pair.

Function

Saftey footwear is exactly what it says it is – footwear worn to protect your feet from injury and to protect you from slipping and falling. If there’s a chance that your footwear can no longer perform that function, you need to get a new pair.

Mileage and Comfort

This is a bit trickier – and depends on how much walking and standing you do, but if your feet are hurting you should be thinking about replacing either your insole, or if that doesn’t work, your safety shoe. There’s no set mileage for when to replace your safety footwear, but shoes and boots start to show wear and tear somewhere around the 1500 km mark under average usage – which is about one year of daily wear.

Damage

This one is really simple – if something falls onto your safety footwear, it needs to be replaced. With steel toed boots, this is fairly easy to see because the steel dents inwards; however with composite materials, the structural integrity can be damaged without any outward signs so it’s recommended that safety footwear be replaced after a puncture or if something lands on it.

While there isn’t a best before date on safety footwear, there are several signs such as physical wear and tear, comfort, and damage that will help you decide when it’s time to pick up a new pair of safety shoes.